Apologies in advance if this has been addressed before. I tried several keyword searches and did not find this discussed here.

I use a different brand of floor multi-fx and amp modeler, because I almost always use two guitars during shows or church services; I appreciate the simplicity and repeatability of a single signal chain. I create "from scratch" presets for each guitar, then use "stomp box mode" to layer individual fx as needed.

I recently bought a JTV-59, which I love. It has become my main electric. I'm intrigued by the added possibilities of connecting it to an HD500 or 500X using the Variax input. However, I prefer my "real" acoustic guitars over the Variax, so I still need to switch guitars.

My question: can I use the multiple inputs of an HD500 or X to switch between guitars, without any additional outboard gear?

Specifically, I want to connect the JTV to the Variax input, and an "analog" guitar to the Guitar input. When I activate a Variax preset, it would mute the Guitar input. When I activate an acoustic preset, it would mute the Variax.

I would also need access to the tuner for either guitar, with the output muted while tuning.

Does anyone know if this is possible? And is there a difference between the oriinal 500 and the 500X in this regard?

I've read through the HD500 & X product info, Pilot Guides and Advanced Guides, but they all seem to assume that you only connect one guitar to the POD. There is almost no info about how to make effective use of the Pod's multiple inputs.

You can have two completely separate paths all the way through the device. One can be a Variax on VDI cable. You can have an acoustic guitar plugged into the HD500 at the same time and you can have presets designed to keep one path or the other from producing any output...ie muted.

You have to choose what output settings you want the PodHD to use and the one choice applies to both paths. So if you want to send your Variax guitar through the Pod for effects and amp modeling and on to the house PA you would be best served by using the Studio Direct output setting. This would also be best for an acoustic guitar running through the PodHD and on to the house PA.

If, however you want to send the Variax through the Pod and then out to a guitar amp then either the Variax or the acoustic guitar will have to be sent through an output setting that isn't optimal for the amplification system you have chosen since the setting choice is global and that applies to both paths.

You also have to be careful where you put stereo and mono effects in either signal path because the paths are both stereo....two parallel stereo paths that can be summed by mono blocks....and stereo effects can span both paths depending on where you put them...
The routing of the paths is very flexible so for the most part you can keep things apart and still have effects for both instruments.
There is also an effects loop with 1/4" jacks that you can assign to anywhere in the signal chain that you can use as an output for either path so you can, for example, send the acoustic off to its channel in the house mix after it passes through some effects blocks but before it even runs through the mixer block in the PodHD signal chain...

I know this is the way the HD 500 x works, not sure about the previous model but my best guess is that is the way it works as well.

Thanks for the quick reply. I kind-of thought that was how it might work, but it's not clear in the manuals at all.

I currently send a mono output to the PA with both guitars, and split the same signal to an acoustic amp for my personal monitor. Sounds like it shouldn't be too hard to implement what I need with that configuration.

Question: Would I have to run the instruments from separate outputs -- e.g., electric on left and acoustic on right? Or can I sum the outputs to mono, so that both guitars go through the same output to the PA and my monitor amp? A single mono output is much easier to deal with.

Assuming this will all work, then I have to decide if I'm willing to set aside 10 years of experience with another brand and start over with L6...

The easiest way is to use different presets for each instrument. Both instruments plugged into the PodHD, using one output, with only the proper instruments input making its way to that output by way of muting the proper path.

I have used my Variax on the VDI input and a 2nd regular electric guitar (my backup) in the "Guitar In" and a 3rd acoustic/electric in the "Aux In". I would set my patches for the electric Guitar In & Variax to "Variax and Guitar In" (or whatever the wordage is) set to "Input 1" with "Aux In" off, then roll the volume on the guitar in use (Variax or Regular) up and the other one full down.

When I used the A/E guitar I'd have a patch for it with the "Aux In" input on the HD500(X) turned on to "Input 1" in the patch. Any of the 3 guitars were usable with the tuner in a HD500 patch with the input active to "Input 1". IMO the only time a dual path with different guitars assigned to Input 1 and Input 2 and different effects paths would be very useful would be with 2 people playing the different guitars at once. This isn't anything I'd be doing, so I just set up different patches for different instruments. My 59 & my backup Epi LP are so close in their pickup tonality & signal level that I used the same patches for both. The only ones I couldn't use the LP on, of course were the special tuning patches for the JTV.

I'm not doing the multiple guitars anymore, as I have 2 JTV's (a 59 & 69S) that I switch the VDI cable between sets. Both guitars give me very good acoustic sounds, and I found a very good patch on the L6 Custom Tone site that someone put a lot of good work on -- uses no "amp", but a lot of good EQ, reverb, and light chorus on. Kudos to the author of that -- with some very minor tweaking and settings for the different acoustic models, I get very good acoustic sounds. I have left my AE at home for a few years now, since I found that patch. It was one of those "aha moments" when I found that one... I don't remember the name of it -- maybe someone here on the forum does...